Shelley's Reviews > Chocolat

Summary:
The French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, is a village that at first glance seems to be set back in time, as a place where the people are quaint, sweet, well mannered. Here the people stick to their menial, monotonous lives, stuck in their unchanging daily routines. But when the wind blows in, it brings with it change.

Vianne Roche, a single mother brought up in the gypsy life of travel, and magic arrives on the spring wind of the carnival celebrating the beginning of Lent. Despite being a time of sacrifice and fasting, Vianne opens a chocolaterie called La Celeste Praline, which just so happens to be across from the church. As the church's priest, Father Francis introduces himself to Vianne, the air turns icy and stale as the two are battling for the hearts of the people of this little village. One seeks to bring order, sacrifice and self-discipline, while the other seeks change, indulgence and open hearts.
Will Vianne bring with her temptation and seduction or is she the change this town needs win the hearts of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes?

My Thoughts:
Having read this novel a second time, I have once again fallen in love. With rich descriptions of chocolate, food, parades, parties, relationships, and dialogue, I fell head of heels for Chocolate. The descriptions of chocolate are so real and rich that you can taste them. I also love that this story has a bit of magical realism in it from scenes like the hidden messages in the wind, the imaginary friend, Pantoufle's appearances, the seduction of chocolate, reading of the cards and the scrying of the chocolate, almost make it seem that there can be times when it's not hard to believe that maybe Vianne does have a little bit of magic. Despite that being said, every time I've read the story I interpreted Vianne as not really having magic, but actually having very strong interpersonal skills and a keen eye for observation. Vianne is one of those people that truly is a good judge of character.
(view spoiler)[ I believe this is the real reason she won over the hearts of the people of Lansquenet-Sou-Tannes. Not only is her chocolate sweet, but Vianne is very kind herself. Vianne does more than just listen to the troubles of the people, she often goes out of her way to reach out to them to help them or comfort them, unlike Reynaud who listens to their troubles but his major flaw is that he never seems to care, misjudges his parishioners and does not reach out to them. The times when he does reach out to his parishioners it's usually only because he has his own secret agenda. Now this is not to say that Vianne is perfect either. Vianne can be too competitive herself, pitting herself against Reynaud when she should be reaching out to him on a personal level instead. She also slept with Roux right at the time when her friend Josephine was becoming close to him. And who knows who the father is to little sweet Anouk. No, Vianne is no saint herself. But once again, I believe that for the most part her heart truly is in the right place and that her knack for knowing what people want and how to reach them is her true gift, even more so than the chocolates. (hide spoiler)]